For the first time in almost three years, most white collar professionals are back in the office, at least some of the time. The pandemic unleashed sweeping, societal change virtually overnight, and among the largest of those changes, was the way that we work. But now, almost three years later, we have returned to some semblance of normalcy. But hybrid and flexible work schedules have persisted. And for many managers, consultants, and economists, the cat may be out of the bag for good. These folks argue that given their newfound flexibility and improved work/life balance, workers will never return to the office 5 days a week. And that’s probably not such a bad thing. There is no demonstrable drop in productivity working from home. The reduction in commuting time may even increase overall worker output. And given worker’s preference for greater flexibility, hybrid work is undoubtedly the future. But detractors argue that standard metrics of productivity are missing the big picture. Perhaps what works in the short term may have serious consequences in the long term. How can companies maintain a corporate culture without a central space? How can managers develop and foster young talent without in person interaction? And how can society as a whole progress without the impromptu creative interactions that are a hallmark of functioning office spaces? In short, hybrid work may be the present, but it is not the future.
Arguing for the motion is Raj Choudhury, Associate Professor at the Harvard Business School whose research is focused on studying the Future of Work.
Arguing against the motion is Allison Schrager, Senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a columnist at Bloomberg Opinion.
Speaker Quotes
RAJ CHOUDHURY: “The day of traveling to a downtown office five days a week is over. And there are different creative ways to arrange work, and why don't the teams decide what's best for them?”.
ALLISON SCHRAGER: “Technology is changing and I have no doubt the nature of work is going to change, but it still doesn't change the way humans are”.
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